Photographs appearing on social media indicates that the Nigerian Army is now operating several Isotrex Phantom-2 armoured vehicles. A photograph which appeared earlier this months shows at least eight Phantom 2s lined-up with other vehicles staging for the opening offensive of Operation ‘Tura Takaibango’ counter-terror operation.
On 3 January, the Nigerian Army launched “Operation Tura Takaibango”, a sub-campaign of the well-known Operation Lafiya Dole to completely rid the dreaded Alagarno of terrorist elements.
The Isotrex Phantom vehicles were painted in a factory desert livery, quite different from the Nigerian Army’s usual desert camouflage scheme, indicating that they were a recent delivery. Further images showed a completely destroyed Phantom 2 after it was reportedly by a suicide vehicle bomb.
The UAE-built ISOTREX`s Phantom 2 is a new version of the 4×4 B6 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), featuring a 5 door configuration, with 360° gun turret and with two or three escape hatches. The vehicle features 8 Gun Ports (3 Left, 3 Right & 2 Rear), Run Flat Tire Devices, Ballistic steel-case fuel tank protection, Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), FLIR Driver Aid System,
Navigation System, and Automatic Fire Suppression System.
According to ISOTREX Manufacturing, it was founded in 2005 by a dedicated armored vehicle manufacturing group of experts from Canada with over a decade of experience in the industry.